Topliner, dam of 2011 Matriarch Stakes (G1) winner Star Billing and sold in foal to leading sire Medaglia d’Oro, brought $1.4 million from Katsumi Yoshida’s Northern Farm to be the top price at the mid-point of Monday’s opening session of the Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale.

Consigned by Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales Agency, agent, Topliner is a 10-year-old daughter of Thunder Gulch. Out of the stakes-placed Relaunch mare To the Hunt, Topliner is a half-sister to multiple Grade 1 stakes winners Stellar Jayne and Starrer.

Star Billing, a four-year-old filly by Dynaformer, won the Matriarch and Senorita Stakes (G3), both at a mile on the turf, at Hollywood Park last year.

Earlier in the session, Spice Island, a Grade 2 winning daughter of Tabasco Cat, sold for $775,000. The dam of Florida Derby winner Ice Box, Spice Island is in foal to Tapit. She was consigned by Bluewater Sales and purchased by Hunter Valley Farm, acting as agent for an undisclosed buyer.

Other six-figure buys on day one included Mons Venus, the dam of Caracortado, who won Sunday’s Grade 3 Daytona Stakes at Santa Anita. The daughter of Maria’s Mon sold in foal to Harlan’s Holiday and was purchased by a partnership of WinStar Farm and Airdrie Stud. She was consigned by VanMeter Sales.

“She was one of the mares in the sale that I thought was at the top end of the market, so we are very happy to get her,” said Elliott Walden, president/CEO and racing manager of WinStar.

Walden said Mons Venus will be bred to Haynesfield, winner of the 2010 Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) who is standing his first season at stud in 2012 at Airdrie as part of the WinStar/Airdrie partnership.

Also on day one, John D. Gunther paid $250,000 for a yearling filly by Tapit out of the stakes-placed Harlan’s Holiday mare Lady On Holiday. The filly was consigned by Three Chimneys Sales, agent for Nordic Thoroughbreds.